Apocalypse with my SSS Harem Beauties-Chapter 198: Tense

The light in the sky gradually dimmed as time passed. The unnatural brightness from earlier slowly faded into a muted glow. Shadows stretched longer across the strange terrain and the heavy Ether mist thickened once again, swallowing the last traces of daylight.

What had felt strange and intrusive before now gave way to a more familiar darkness that pressed quietly against everything.

They decided that the hunt finally came to an end.

The battlefield after battlefield they had crossed throughout the day left its mark, but it also left behind results. The new type of monsters, those with feral forms and red-tinged corruption, had all been wiped out within this area. Not a single one remained in sight. Only the lingering traces of Ether and the faint memory of their violent resistance stayed behind.

However, none of them believed it would last long.

"They’ll appear again," Myles thought, his gaze calm but distant. "Stronger or worse. I have a feeling."

But that wasn’t something they could control right now.

What they had was what they gained today.

Myles and his group stood before the Soul Forge Altar right now.

The towering structure rose above them, its surface carved with patterns that seemed to move faintly when looked at for too long.

A steady and constant vibration filled the air around it, as if the altar itself was alive and eager to respond to their presence. The Ether surrounding it felt denser and more refined around this artifact from another world.

One by one, they stepped forward.

Greenish and reddish shards filled their hands. Not just a few this time, but a significant amount. Each of them had gathered at least fifty shards throughout the day. A heavy accumulation of power.

Myles stepped closer first.

The moment he focused, the shards in his hand dissolved into faint streams of light. They flowed forward and sank into the altar then disappearing into its surface like water absorbed into stone. At the same time, a subtle pressure ran through his body when the new power spread.

It didn’t explode but settled deep inside him, reinforcing his muscle, sharpening his senses, and strengthening the foundation of his body in a steady and controlled way.

His breathing remained even but he could feel the clear difference. He had become a tad more stronger.

After him, the others did the same one by one.

Some of them took a deep breath as the energy settled into them. Their grip tightened slightly as they felt the increase in strength.

They closed her eyes for a moment, adjusting to the change as their senses sharpened or testing the weight of their own body as it felt lighter and more responsive.

Then, a faint grin formed as they flexed their fingers around their weapons.

Each of them had changed again. Not drastically in appearance, but in presence. The difference would be clear to anyone who fought them.

They had grown again.

After a few moments, the process ended.

The altar returned to its quiet hum, as if nothing had happened.

Myles stepped back.

"This always feels good," Victor muttered with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

Myles gave a small nod.

Before anyone could say more, footsteps approached from behind.

The sound was steady and controlled.

Myles turned slightly.

Michael and his group had arrived.

They stepped into the area in front of the altar, their figures emerging from the dim light. Their expressions were serious, their presence somehow looked tense but contained.

It was clear they had also spent the entire day gathering strength.

For a brief moment, both groups faced each other again.

But this time, it felt as if something in the air had changed.

For a brief moment, both groups faced each other again.

The air between them felt different now. Heavier... sharper. Not hostile yet, but no longer as neutral as before. It carried a quiet tension that neither side acknowledged out loud.

Myles and his group wondered what had happened.

Michael was the first to move.

He gave a small nod toward Myles, a faint smile forming on his face. It looked natural at a glance, controlled and calm, as if nothing had changed between them.

Myles returned the nod without hesitation.

But his eyes didn’t miss anything.

Behind Michael, the others stood still with their eyes told a different story.

Rafe’s eyes narrowed slightly. Tobias watched in silence, measuring. Even Selene, who usually looked indifferent, now held a sharper focus.

They were watching his group carefully.

"Huh. What happened?" Myles thought, his expression unchanged.

"How was your hunt?" Michael asked, his tone casual, almost friendly.

"Good," Myles replied simply. "We found a new type of monster further north. Probably close to Red’s camp."

For a split second, Michael’s body stiffened hearing that name. It was subtle. Small enough that most wouldn’t notice.

But Myles saw it. The name alone was enough to trigger something.

"I see," Michael said, his tone steady again but the brief reaction lingered in his eyes.

Myles didn’t press it.

"Anyway, we’re done here," he continued. "We’ll head back to camp first."

Without waiting for further response, he turned.

His group followed immediately, falling into step behind him without question.

Above them, Lilian still floated in the air. She didn’t bother hiding herself.

Her presence remained open and clear, wings spread slightly as she hovered with quiet control.

Michael’s gaze lifted toward her. His eyes narrowed slightly. He was now even more certain that she’s definitely not from this world.

The certainty in that thought settled deeper than before. He looked away after a moment.

"Okay. Let’s use the altar," Michael said to his group, his tone returning to its usual firmness.

They stepped forward one by one.

The shards they carried dissolved into light as they fed them into the altar. The same quiet strengthening spread through their bodies, reinforcing them, and sharpening them. No one spoke during the process, but each of them felt the strength clearly.

They needed this.

After a while, it ended.

Michael stepped back.

"Let’s go back," he said.

They left the altar behind and returned toward the camp.

—

By the time both groups arrived, the camp had already settled into the night.

A fire burned steadily at the center, its light flickering across the surrounding tents. The soft crackling of flames mixed with quiet conversations and the occasional faint laughter.

People sat in small groups, eating what little they had and sharing the small comfort of normalcy.

For the moment, everything felt peaceful.

Too peaceful.

Like the calm before something inevitable.

—

The calm of the camp did little to ease the tension inside Michael.

He walked alone through the narrow paths between tents, his steps steady but his mind anything but steady and calm. He already knew his purpose for this walk.

The firelight flickered across his face, casting shifting shadows that only made the tightness in his expression more obvious.

Voices of others drifted around him. Voices of low conversations, faint laughter, and the sound of people trying to hold onto something normal in each other’s presence.

But none of it reached him.

His jaw clenched slightly.

For the past few days, the same thought had returned again and again, refusing to leave.

What if it happens again?

He had seen it before. And Red had proven exactly what happened when someone gained too much power without restraint. They would only want one thing, and that was more power.

Now Myles stood in that same position in his eyes. Stronger, growing faster. Surrounded by people who believed in him.

Michael’s fingers curled slightly at his side.

If he decides to turn... can they even stop him?

That thought alone was enough. He couldn’t ignore it anymore.

He moved through the camp with more purpose now, his eyes scanning until they found what he was looking for.

Myles.

Myles stood slightly away from the others, speaking quietly with Lilian. Their voices were low, almost hushed, as if they didn’t want others to hear.

Lilian’s expression remained calm as always, her presence detached yet attentive.

Michael stopped a few steps away. For a moment, he just watched them.

Then he spoke. "Myles."

His voice cut cleanly through the quiet.

Both of them turned.

Michael stepped closer, his expression serious, the earlier calm completely gone.

"I need to talk to you," he said. His tone left no room for misunderstanding. "In private."

The shift was immediate.

Myles studied him for a second. He didn’t ask why and knew that he couldn’t refuse.

Instead, he turned slightly toward Lilian and said something quietly.

She gave a small nod in response, her gaze shifting toward Michael. There was no emotion in her eyes. Just a calm, unreadable indifference.

Myles then stepped away.

They walked a short distance from the others, far enough that their voices wouldn’t carry.

The firelight dimmed slightly at the edge of the camp, leaving them in a quieter space.

Myles stopped first and turned to face him. His expression remained calm, steady as always.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked.

—